United Plymouth calls for end to public sector pay pinch

Plymouth council has backed a motion from Plymouth Labour group and GMB Union to call for the government to end the public sector pay pinch.

The motion called for Plymouth Council to back the GMB’s national Pay Pinch Campaign and to write to the government to secure a better deal for hard pressed public sector workers.

Since 2010 public sector workers' wages have been frozen, or have increased below inflation, which means their cost of living is rising faster than their pay, leaving them out of pocket.

The average public sector worker has lost £8,953 in real terms, and with the Government planning to pursue this pay freeze policy until 2020 they stand to lose £4,073 more.

The motion was proposed by Cllr Bill Stevens, the Labour councillor for Devonport ward.

It was passed overwhelmingly, with only one abstention, at a full council meeting by Plymouth City Council on Monday night and had support from leading trade unions including the GMB, Unison and Unite.

Labour group leader Cllr Tudor Evans was pleased that the motion received almost unanimous support from both parties.

Cllr Evans said: “It’s fantastic news that Plymouth Council has backed this motion.

"Although party politics usually divides us, it’s quite a statement when councillors from both sides of the political divide come to together back a motion and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank members from both parties for backing it.

“The council can now write to the Government from a position of strength and with a united voice.We’re hoping the Government will listen to the united voice of Plymouth, and look to lift the Public Pay pinch that has caused misery for public sector workers.”

GMB regional organiser Matthew Roberts said: "This is a step in the right direction for hard pressed public sector workers in Plymouth.

“Facing 10 years of pay cuts in real terms, our vital public sector workers — nurses, midwives and refuse collectors — have had an average of £9,000 pinched from their pay packets since 2010.

"And they face losing £4,000 more in the next three years.

“I know that lots of local GMB activists wrote to the Labour Party, and asked them to put something formally to the council, and that our sister unions Unison and Unite have also been running similar campaigns.

“We know that the government’s longstanding commitment to Austerity is going to be difficult to change but we feel that a united voice from Plymouth allows us to speak to the Government from a position of strength.”